Method of and apparatus for refrigerating liquids



a Model.)

W. s. BREWER. METHOD 0? AND APPARATUS FOR REPRIGERATING LIQUIDS.

No. 310,025.- PatentednDecy30, 1884.

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WESLEY shauwnn, or LEWIS spscrrrca'rxon forming part of Letters rarest No. 310.025, Application filed February 7, 1883i Renewed August 9, 1884.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WEsLEY S. BREWER, a citizen of the U' ited States, residing at Richmond, -Way1.e r ounty, Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Refrigerating Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to methods and apparatus for the refrigeration of liquids by means of the expansion and absorption of heat by atmospheric air released from compression, its

object being tosimplify and render the some more efficient and less expensive in cost and operation.

I5 To this end my invention consists, primar1ly, in.releasing and expanding the com] pressed air in direct contact with the refrigerating-liquid,- secondly, in decreasing the density of the liquid, expansive capacity of the air exhausted therein; and, lastly, in the construction and arrangement of apparatus for the continuous refrigeration of thc'liquid medium employed in artificial ice-making by the methods above indicated.

Apparatus for carrying out my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

in which Figures 1 and 2 are a plan view and cross-section, respectively, of a refrigerating- 0 tank for ice-making, in which the principle employed is the exhaustion of compressed air in direct contact with the brine used as the refrigerating medium; and Fig. 3, a longitudigal vertical section of the apparatus provide with means for decreasing the density of the liquid, the said means being in this case a vertical tank or column provided with an air-exhauster fo maintainimz, the column of liquid normally above thc'general level by .0 air-pressure acting against a vacuum.

Referring to the drawings, in which the parts described herein are indicated by the letters of reference, A designates the refrigerating-tank, which may be conveniently di- '5 vided into three compartments longitudinah ly, of which the outside compartments,

are simply open portions of the main tank, designed for thereception of the congealing vessels,of the usual character, and the central 5o compartment is closed at he tornand preferably divided by cross-par itions into a num thereby increasing the 'manufacture, but

moi-mom), INDIANA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF To M. HOSEA, oF-cINcINNA'rI, OHIO.

METHOD OF AlllD APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATlNG LIQUIDSL dated December 30,1884.

(No model.)

ber of-snbcompartments, a. ,Each of the sub-compartments a is provided with a vacuuunl valve, o, opening inward, and has a branch connection with the air-exhausting 5' pipe B. The compartments a are also perforated at the sides and bottom, as at a a", to assist the circulation of the liquid contents of the general tank, as hereinafter described." I Lougitudinally at or near the bottom of the ()0 central compartment pxtends an air-delivery pipe, 0, passing through'the entire series of sub-compartments a, and provided with one or more openings at each sub-compartment,

preferably at the under side of the pipe, C. 6 Regulating-valves may be used at such openings, if deemed necessary; but generally reg mating-valves o in, the branch connections with the airexhausting pipe B will besufiicient, in connection with the vacuum-val-ves 7c of(the littter being provided with means for due regulatiom) to equalizethe outflow of air to correspond with the inflow in the several sub-compartments a. Each sub-compartment is further provided with a series of inclined 7 partitions or deflectors, b, arranged one above another, as shown, to catch and retard the ascending air and guide it from side to side in a zigzag course through the surrounding liquid. These deflectors are inde en'dent of each other, and terminate at each si e wholly within the sub compartments (1.,hut may he soldered or otherwise attached at opposite'cnds to the cross-partitions separating the subcompartments. 8

The parts thus described constitute my improved apparatus inits simplestionm, it heing premised that suitable mechanism, D, or any approved form, he provided for exhaust ing the air from the sulrcompartments a and go compressing the same and forcing it back again through the delivery pipe in, and also suitable provisionsuch as a coil, E- be added for cooling down the air when com pressed The apparatus so constructed is operative 0,; to a practicable degree for ordinary rcfrigcrating purp0scs-for example, the refrigcration of a liquid designed to circulate inpipes through an apartment where a low tempera ture is desired. It is also operntimior ice m0 involves a considerable comprssion of the air by powerful compressors,

the operation in either case being the coinpression and eoolingjof the air, then allowing it to escape into the sub-compartments through the delivery-pipe C and pass upward beneath thedeflecting-partitions th ough the contained liquid, thence being exhausted from the cont .partments through t-hepipe B.- I prefer, however,to construct the tank A with one or more columns, F, which are simply vertical exten sinus of the sub-compartments a, and may be considered the practical equivalent of a series of such sub-compartments, with the additiona'l function presently to be described. The column F may be of any convenient height within the limit of the hydrostatic law of the vacuum, and provided with the perforated delivery-pipe C, deflecting-partitions b, and vacuum-valve c,as before described for the sub-compartments a. The exhaust-pipe B is; however, in this instance provided with a valve, '0", opening outwardlyfrom the chamber. The exhauster D and coil E, of any approved construction, I have before referred to. I have shown the exhauster l) as a rotary air-pu mp for convenience of representapartially maintained in the upper portion of the column F, and the density of the column ofliquid maintained therein will uniformly decrease toward the top, thus enabling the ascending air to attain a much higher expansion than otherwise, and thus absorb more heat from the surrounding liquid and produce a lower degree of refrigeration of the latter.

I find it desirable, in connection with the i apparatus in this form, to employ an indetop, but preferably below the general level of pendent circulating-pump G, with its receiving-pipe extended to a point rcmotcl'rom the column, and its delivery pipe extended upward to discharge into the column near the the liquid therein. The ordinary gages are to be attached {to the column to ascertain the height of the liquid therein, and the ordinary regulating-cocks to' the supply exhaust, and circulating pipes to regulate the flow of liquid and of air, so as to maintain the proper. relations of the same.

'It will be obvious that the function of the partitions b is to retard the ascending, air and pass it in alengthened course through the refrigerating-liquid, and that a series of screens of fine mesh would also serve-the purposeby' subdividing the air-bubbles, and thus practically lengthening the course of the air through 6 5 the liquid.

v I am awarethat the expansion of air has been before utilized forsimilar purposes; but in such operations the air has been expanded in pipes and receivers submerged in the rc- .70

frigeratingmedium, whereby much of thee!- ficiency is lost.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. As an improvement in the art,of 'refrig- 7 5,

ice by expanding compressed air in a liquidrefrigerating medium, an aerating cham her, a or F, (one or more,) connected with an air compressing apparatusxprov ided with deflecting-partitions b, substantially as set forth.

4. Icon ice-makingapparatus, in combinn tion with the refrigeratiugtank A, one or more chambers, a or F, communicating there with, and provided with the perforated air;- admission pipe 0 audexhaust-pip B, connected with a. siggle air forcing apparatus, v

so hstantiall y as d for'thc pu'rpose'spccified.

5. The improved ice-mak1ug apparatusem bodying a, refrigerating-tank A, aerating col umn l1, connnunicating' therewith, air exhausti ng and compressing apparatus D, cooler 1'), and pipes B and C, sub'stautially'as and for'the purpose set'forth.

6. In an ice-making apparatus of the character described, the combination, with the refrigerating tank A and colnmnF, having open communication with each other, of the circulating-pd mp G,.connnunicating with the tank and column, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two'subscribi'ng witnesses.

\VESLEY S. BRE\VER.

Witnesses:

l,. M. HosEA, JOSEPH A. Kmvon.

l in 

